Effect of lithium on stress-induced changes in the brain levels of monoamines in rats

The effect of lithium on the brain levels of monoamines was examined in stress-exposed rats. It was found that stress lowered brain levels of noradrenaline and serotonin and had no effect on the brain level of dopamine. Lithium, alone, caused a decrease in brain levels of noradrenaline and dopamine, but not in serotonin. Nevertheless, the diminished level of serotonin in stress-exposed rats increased by lithium treatment. It may be possible to make a correlation between the later finding with the inhibitory effect of lithium on aggression in human beings and animals.